Before a crowd of 12,052 at STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles, Danny “Swift” Garcia, (32-0, 18 KOs) of Philadelphia won a unanimous 12-round decision over Gilroy, Calif.’s Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, (33-4, 18 KOs). Scores were 116-112 on all three judges’ scorecard.
Fighting for the vacant WBC Welterweight title in the first Premier Boxing Champions on FOX event, Guerrero came out aggressively in the first four rounds using a solid jab and strong over hand left hands to control the action.
Garcia acclimated well to the pressure in the fifth round, finding his range and using potshotting right hands to halt the oncoming Guerrero. The theme would play itself out during the second half of the fight as well with Garcia dominating the action. Sensing the fight slipping away, Guerrero came on strongly in the final round with both combatants fighting to the bitter end as the crowd stood and roared with approval.
Said Garcia following the victory, “It was what I expected. I knew I would win at least eight or nine rounds. I knew there would be some head butts in there. He head butted me so much on my forehead.
“I was throwing my combinations, using my legs like my dad told me to do. I knew he was going to come to fight. He’s a rugged warrior. I’m back where I belong. I am now a two-division world champion.
“Guerrero is tough. No one has ever stopped him. He came to fight; he was in shape. I’m taking nothing away from him. I am glad it went the way it went. I just want to take some time off, let my body heal and take one day at a time.”
Father/trainer Angel Garcia said, “I thought it was a good fight. There were a lot of head butts. He is a dirty fighter. At the end of the day, Danny pulled it off, it doesn’t matter what people say.
“I knew Robert was going to be at 100. It was a world title fight. Anytime it is a world title fight, no one is going to slouch. When you come to fight a former champion or champion, it’s going to be a battle. These are elite fighters and there is always going to be a great fight.”
Stated a disappointed Guerrero, “I want a rematch and that’s it. Not one person out there thought Danny won, but his team. I pressured him, I nailed him, busted his body up. I
out-jabbed him.
“I thought I won the fight. The crowd thought I won the fight. It was a great fight. I am happy I’m healthy. I will be back.
“It’s all for the fans. That’s why they bring me back. They love it and they enjoy it. They were entertained tonight. They thought I won the fight.”
Continued Robert’s father and trainer Ruben Guerrero, “”I know we won it. He kept running and holding, running and holding. How are you going to win a fight when you run and hold every time?
“We wanted to win every round and I think we won every round. I want a rematch. That wasn’t fair. I want a rematch as soon as possible.”
Punch stats showed Garcia with a wide margin of power shots landed, 33 percent to Guerrero’s 24 percent.
In a 10-round welterweight battle, “Sergeant” Sammy Vasquez of Monessen, Pennsylvania improved to (21-0, 15 KOs) with a sixth round stoppage of Aron Martinez, (20-5, 4 KOs) of Michoacan, Mexico.
Peppering Martinez with a piston like jab, Vasquez controlled the action using his full skillset to score points at will against the slower Martinez. Staying the aggressor through round four and five, Vasquez continued to beat Martinez to the punch using a battering right hook.
The bout ended abruptly as Martinez was not able to continue following the sixth round due to a left elbow injury.
Said Vasquez, “Of course I won the fight, but Martinez is a tough competitor, a tough Mexican fighter. I tried to mix it up with him a little bit, but there was no sense in me trying to do that. I could have easily outboxed him, which I started to do, but I wanted more. I was just starting to warm up.
“A victory feels good of course, but I wanted more. I wanted to go 12 rounds, if it would have lasted that long. I wanted a very decisive win. Unfortunately, he got hurt, but every fight is a learning experience for me.
“It’s on to the next chapter and I’m ready for all of the guys at the top. Eventually, I’m going to get them.”
A disappointed Martinez stated, “I hurt my elbow. I couldn’t throw my jab. I started to feel it in the third round. The doctor stopped it.
“I was doing okay. Not my best. I tried, but once I hurt my elbow, I knew it was going to be tough to continue.”
Opening the telecast was an outstanding heavyweight back and forth brawl between
2012 U.S. Olympian Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale, (17-0, 15 KOs) of Glendale, California and Amir “Hardcore” Mansour, (22-2-1, 16 KOs), of Philadelphia.
From the first bell it was readily apparent that both big men would throw bombs throughout
with Mansour in particular throwing caution to the wind.
Swinging wildly Mansour dropped Breazeale early in the third stanza, badly shaking the former
college football quarterback.
However, Breazeale confidently kept his composure, fighting his way back in the fourth. With Mansour apparently running out of gas in the fifth round Breazeale went to work, drilling the
muscular southpaw with battering uppercuts and hooks on the inside.
Following the fifth round, Mansour bit through his tongue and cited a jaw injury (which was not broken) and could not continue as the valiant Breazeale was awarded the well-earned victory.
Said a happy Breazeale, “I didn’t know what happened. Usually when they wave off a fight, it’s over. Shows I have punching power after all.
“I’ve been on the canvas before. I just had my hand in the wrong place. I knew I could get back up. I’m in great shape. It happens to the best of us.
“I’m a fighter at heart and I wanted to just get in there and brawl, but I new I had to stick to the game plan and box him.”
